Poland

Warsaw

Authoritarian, Oligarchic

Neutral

Poland is a regional power in Central Europe. It is between two major powers, the German Reich and the Soviet Union. It is arguably the 6th strongest country in Europe during World War II.

Historical background[edit]

The Second Polish Republic (Pol: Druga Rzeczpospolita) was perhaps the sixth most powerful country in Europe in 1936, but was caught between two rising superpowers — Germany under the fanatical Nazis, and the Soviet Union, the epicenter of Communism. Due largely to limited economic resources, Poland was unable to keep pace with the intense armament efforts of its neighbors. After being the target of Hitler's political machinations, and becoming Poland's friend while weakening the country's independence and ties with France, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between the Soviet Union and Germany paved the way for territorial demands and, soon, war.

World War II is most often considered to have begun on 1 September 1939 with the invasion of Poland by the German Reich. Both the United Kingdom, the leader of the Allies, and France guaranteed Poland's independence, and did declare war on Germany. However, no real pressure was brought against the Third Reich. Almost 100 French divisions invaded Germany, but were ordered to halt 1 km from the thin and undermanned Siegfried Line and withdraw to their original positions in the Maginot Line. For 8 months after, the “Phoney War” of minor skirmishes and almost unreal quiet held sway as the allies did nothing. After the war, a German officer remarked that had the allies pressed their offensive then, Germany could only have held out for a few weeks.

The last divisions of the Polish Army capitulated after a month, on the 6th of October; but the Polish Government never officially surrendered. Indeed, their resistance was one of the best organized in Europe, complete with schools and a postal service. The Polish struggle continued on the Western Front with the Polish Fleet and Polish army brigades who evacuated through Romania to France and thence to England.

Polish soldiers played key roles in the war including the Battle of Britain, the Battle of Narvik, and the Battle of Monte Cassino. However, the rise of the “Iron Curtain” and the West-East division of Europe negotiated between the allies and Comintern left Poland a Soviet satellite state, its true independence not to return until the fall of the USSR decades later.

Events[edit]

Main article: Polish events

National focus[edit]

Polish national focus tree.

Main article: Polish national focus tree

Poland gets a unique national focus tree as part of a free DLC. If the DLC is not enabled, Poland will use the generic national focus tree instead.

The focus tree can be divided into 5 main branches:

Central Region Strategy - The Four Year Plan: This branch offers the possibility to develop the nation's infrastructure and factories as well as enabling up to two additional research slots.

Prepare For The Next War: This branch has options to keep pace/modernize the Polish ground forces with/ahead of its neighbors.

Air Base Expansion: This branch includes focuses which grants several research bonuses to improve aircraft. The first focus of the branch adds an air base.

Develop Polish Ship Building: This branch includes focuses which grants several research bonuses that could potentially specialize or widen the range of ships available for service soon. Includes research bonus for naval doctrine advancements.

Strengthen The Polish State: This branch contains various diplomatic focuses and focuses to change the ideology of the government. This branch has mutually exclusive choices that enables the player to forge an alliance or create one of its own.

Technology[edit]

Poland starts with three research slots.

Army Technology	Naval Technology	Air Technology	Electronics & Industry
Kbsp wz.38M Infantry Eq. I Mountain Infantry I Engineer Company I Recon Company I Renault FT Great War Tank 75mm wz. 31 Towed Artillery I 40mm wz. 36 Towed Anti-Air I	Early Destroyer Hull Basic Depth Charges 1936 Submarine Hull Basic Torpedo Naval Gunnery Contact Mine Minelaying Submarine	PZL.11 Interwar Fighter Żubr Interwar Bomber Karaś Close Air Support I	None
Doctrines
Grand Battleplan	None	None

Diplomacy[edit]

Poland starts as non-aligned, but with their unique focus tree can easily join any of the main ideologies or even try and remain neutral through the war by starting their own faction.

In the 1936 opening, Poland has to make a decision on what faction to join. In 1936, the Polish Army is stronger than the Wehrmacht so an preemptive attack can be considered especially if France declares war after the reoccupation of the Rhine event. If Poland chooses to join the Allies it needs to be aware of the fact that the brunt of the German war effort will be placed on it. If Poland chooses to join the Axis it has the potential to destroy the USSR. If Poland decides to join the Comintern it will be able to knock out Germany very early on and prevent the Soviet Union from claiming its eastern states. This course of action can be problematic if Poland joins the Axis and Germany takes the "Molotov Ribbentrop Pact" focus.

Alliances[edit]

In 1936, Poland does not belong in any alliances but it can form an alliance with France via decision late 1938. By national focus, Poland can create its own faction called "Międzymorze" (mid-sea/between-seas, a reference to the Baltic and Black seas—at its height of power in the 16th to 17th centuries, Poland's borders stretched from the Baltic to the Black sea. Arguably, the idea of returning to that former glory is part of the national consciousness, especially in the newly re-instituted second republic of the early 20th century).

Politics[edit]

Laws[edit]

Conscription Law	Economy Law	Trade Law
Volunteer Only 1.5% Recruitable population	Civilian Economy 35% Consumer Goods factories –30% Factory construction speed +30% Factory (type) conversion cost -40% Fuel Gain per Oil -25% Fuel Capacity	Export Focus 50% Resources to market +5% Research speed +10% Factory/Dockyard output +10% Construction speed +20% Civilian intelligence to others +10% Navy intelligence to others

Political parties[edit]

Political Party	Ideology	Popularity	Party Leader	Country Name	Is Ruling?
Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe	Democratic	18%	Wincenty Witos	Polish Republic	No, but can come to power by coup.
Communist Party of Poland	Communist	2%	Władysław Gomułka	Polish People's Republic	No, but can come to power by coup.
Oboz Narodowo Radykalny-Falanga	Fascist	15%	Bolesław Piasecki	Falangist Poland (If Independent)/The Generalgovernement (If a German Puppet)	No, but can come to power by coup.
BBWR	Non-Aligned	65%	Ignacy Mościcki	Poland	Yes
BBWR	Non-Aligned	---	Władysław Sikorski	Poland	No, but can come to power via "Fall of Warsaw" event chain.

Economy[edit]

1936

Factories 1936
Military Factories	Naval Dockyards	Civilian Factories
9	1	17

As well as 37 free slots. 9 Civilian Factories are available for construction duty.

Total resources 1936
Oil	Rubber	Steel	Aluminum	Tungsten	Chromium
5(2)	0(0)	51(19)	11(2)	0(0)	0(0)

*These numbers represent the available resources for production at start of the game. In the bracket are the complete numbers including those lost for trading.

Military[edit]

Army[edit]

Army
	Type	No.
	Infantry	28
	Cavalry	10
	Mountaineer	2
	Total divisions	40

The Polish Army (Wojsko Polskie) is based on large infantry divisions as well as small cavalry brigades.

Infantry divisions (Dywizja Piechoty) are made of 9 infantry regiments with a cavalry recon company.
Mountaineer divisions (Dywizja Piechoty Górskiej) comprise 9 mountain regiments with a cavalry recon company.
Cavalry brigades (Brygada Kawalerii) are made of 3 cavalry regiments with a cavalry recon company.

8 of the infantry divisions and all of the cavalry brigardes are at "Trained" with the rest of the army at Regular; all units suffer from equipment shortages.

Total: 30 Divisions + 10 Brigades

Manpower Used: 320k

Infantry equipment list
Name	Type	Techyear
Kb Mauser wz.98a	Basic Eq.	1918
Kbsp wz.38m	Weapons I	1936
wz. 38 Mors	Weapons II	1939
wz. 43 Blyskawica	Weapons III	1942

Motorized units list
Name	Type	Techyear
Ursus A	Motorized	1936
C4P	Mechanized I	1940
C2P	Mechanized II	1942
C7P	Mechanized III	1944

Tank units list
Name	Type	Techyear
Renault FT	Great War Tank	1918
TKS	Light Tank I	1934
7TP	Light Tank II	1936
37TP	Light Tank III	1941
10TP	Medium Tank I	1939
14TP	Medium Tank II	1941
Huzar	Medium Tank III	1943
27TP	Heavy Tank I	1934
32TP	Heavy Tank II	1941
Bestia	Heavy Tank III	1943
Behemot	Super Heavy Tank	1943
Ulan	MBT	1945

Navy[edit]

Screens and Submarines 1936
2 Destroyers	3 Submarines

The Polish Navy (Marynarka Wojenna) is almost nonexistent. It is best to ignore any Naval research unless going for a World Conquest or there is nothing left to do.

Total: 5 vessels | Manpower Used: 1.1k

Naval units list
Name	Type	Count	Production	Techyear	Design note
Wicher Class	Minelayer (DD)	2		1922	DD battery I, AA I, TT I, DC I and mines
Wilk Class	Minelayer (SS)	3		1936	TT I and mines

Air Force[edit]

Air force
	Type	No.
	Close air support	22
	Fighter	162

Total: 184 planes | Manpower Used: 3.68k

The Polish Air Force (Siły Powietrzne) is weak and it would take a lot of time to upgrade, but it is definitely worth upgrading to try and wrest air control from the Germans in 1939..

Aircraft Types
Tech Year	Close Air Support (Carrier Variant)	Fighter (Carrier Variant)	Naval Bomber (Carrier Variant)	Heavy Fighter	Tactical Bomber	Strategic Bomber
1933		PZL.11			Zubr
1936	Karas	Jastrzab	Foka	Wilk	Los	Pszsczola
1940	Sum	Kania	Lew Morski	Rys	Mis	Osa
1944	Okon	Pustuka	Mors	Lis	Dzik	Szerszen
^{Jet Engine Technology}
1945		Jet Fighter I			Jet Tac Bomber I
1950		Jet Fighter II			Jet Tac Bomber II	Jet Strat Bomber I

Strategies and guides[edit]

The below is one of many player suggested strategies for Poland. Bear in mind, due to the dynamic nature of the game, it may unfold differently for other players.

At the beginning of the game you can choose whether to attach to the Axis (fascism), the Comintern (communism) or to set up Międzymorze (historically the idea of Marshal Józef Piłsudski), you can also go to liberalism (I do not recommend). To have a chance to defend against Germany or the USSR, the first three national goals should be Strengthening the Polish State (you can give Tomisław Łupaszko - an increase in the experience of the army or Roman Dmowski - a fascist demagogue), Polish militarism and Polish revanchism (shortens the justification of the war goal and allows to do at 10% WT, 5% gives Rhino (if France declares war, we can attack them), so it will not be a long wait). When WT is high enough you can justify first on Lithuania, and immediately after on Latvia. After a quick war, annex Lithuania and re-create Commonwealth, which gives you cores in Latvia and the western parts of the USSR (most of Ukraine, Belarus and Smolensk), and German Konigsberg and Mazury). You can then attack and annex Latvia.

Germany will sooner or later demand Danzig, it is probably wise to give it to them, as they will usually leave you alone after that. Alternatively, be prepared for a tough war, which you probably should be communist and allied with Soviet to win. The alternative is to maintain peace with Axis and fight Soviet. Form a solid defensive line with fortifications on the eastern front, and let them wear themselves out before you counterattack. After you win, you can take back your cores in Ukraine to bring back the Commonwealth to its full glory of about 60 million people, and add as many factory and resource provinces as you can.

After defeating Latvia, you can consider to create or join an alliance. The Międzymorze tends to be less useful as most states will be reluctant to join until later in the game, and the Baltic countries can be conquered and cored. I recommend (if present) the Roman Pact (the conditions are immediately met (BBWR (an independent block of cooperation with the government (created by Marshal Józef Piłsudski) is at the beginning a ruling "party", and its over 60% support is slowly falling)) Romania, the USSR makes lend-lease, but we block it with our borders, we do not join their wars, we conquer smaller countries (if we fight Germany, we can summon them, but if the Allies fight them, we will crush them, but it requires going You can also join Osizy Zaolzie (received by Czechoslovakia in Poland during (won by Poland) the Poland-USSR war) after the annexation of Czechoslovakia, but then we have to agree to the domination of the Reich. If the Roman Pact (the best option) is then we join them and go into fascism (if we are preparing for civil war (50PP) (we have Dmowski) (WE DON'T START IT !!!) we can get "fascist assault divisions "(+ manpower)), in fascist focus we have another manpower bonus, improving relations with Germany, it is also worth faster division training. If Romanians develop a "Renewal of the Polish-Romanian Alliance" then joining it gives us a guarantee from Romania, but we also give it a guarantee and she gives it to Czechoslovakia, Greece and Turkey (i.e. if these countries are attacked Romania will fight on their side, and we guarantee Romania, so we will also fight (if we conquer the Baltic States, we can agree and attack the Reich after the annexation of Czechoslovakia).

Achievements[edit]

30 Minutes of Hel

As Poland in the 1939 “Blitzkrieg” scenario start, inflict over 1,800,000 casualties to Germany to beat the 2018 PDXCON HOI4 challenge. Extra bragging rights if you do it in 30 minutes or less!

Bearer of Artillery

Gain Wojtek as commander.

Poland Can Into Space

Finish all Rocket Technologies as Poland.

Countries

Europe

Albania Austria Belgium Bulgaria Czechoslovakia Denmark Estonia Finland German Reich Greece Hungary Ireland Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Norway Poland Portugal Nationalist Spain Republican Spain Soviet Union Sweden Switzerland Turkey Yugoslavia

North America

Dominion of Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Republic El Salvador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Mexico Nicaragua Panama United States

South America

Argentina Bolivia Chile Ecuador Paraguay Peru Uruguay Venezuela

Asia	Afghanistan Bhutan British Malaya British Raj Communist China Guangxi Clique Iran Iraq Mongolia Nepal Oman Philippines Saudi Arabia Siam Sinkiang Tannu Tuva Tibet Xibei San Ma Yemen Yunnan